The Telecommunication Networks group covers a vast area of research topics related to advanced telecommunication networks. The group owns two experimental laboratories: Network Engineering & Applications Laboratory and Sound, Networking, and Interactive Computing Laboratory.
Research topics
- AI-Driven Network Automation and Analysis
The group studies the use of machine learning and deep learning in telecommunications networks, with the aim of developing infrastructures that can monitor and adapt themselves autonomously. Its research includes:- network traffic analysis and monitoring using big data and machine learning;
- the use of agentic AI to detect, respond to, and mitigate cyber threats in real time.
- Next-Generation Infrastructure and Virtualization
The group studies the transition to programmable infrastructure through:- Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and programmable control planes for fine-grained traffic management;
- cloud computing and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) to separate services from hardware;
- optical switching architectures for high-capacity data transport;
- data center traffic management and computing resource optimization;
- job scheduling in systems based on large language models (LLMs).
- Security, Privacy, and Social Dynamics
The group examines security and social interactions in networks, focusing on:- cybersecurity and online privacy to protect data and users in public and private settings;
- social network analysis and mathematical modeling of how information and influence spread.
- Sustainability and Specialized Applications
The group studies energy-efficient networks to reduce the environmental impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) and strengthen infrastructure resilience. Its research includes:- networks powered by renewable energy sources;
- the integration of aerial nodes into terrestrial infrastructure;
- network and infrastructure sharing;
- edge AI to distribute intelligent processing to the edges of networks;
- Networked Music Performance as a way to study long-distance synchronization and highly reliable communications with stringent latency and jitter requirements.